Plan

Introduction……………………….……………………………………………………3

A look at global problems……………………………………………………4

Intersocial problems…………………………………………………..5

Environmental and social problems………………………………………………….9

Sociocultural problems…………………………………………….………..14

Conclusion……………………………….………………………………………….16

References……………………………………………………….………17

Introduction

From fr.Global - universal

Global problems of mankind - problems and situations that cover many countries, the Earth's atmosphere, the World Ocean and near-Earth space and affect the entire population of the Earth.

The global problems of mankind cannot be solved by the efforts of one country; jointly developed provisions on environmental protection, a coordinated economic policy, assistance to backward countries, etc. are needed.

In the course of the development of civilization, complex problems have repeatedly arisen before mankind, sometimes of a planetary nature. But still, it was a distant prehistory, a kind of "incubation period" of modern global problems. These problems manifested themselves in full measure already in the second half and, in particular, in the last quarter of the 20th century, that is, at the turn of two centuries and even millennia. They were brought to life by a whole complex of reasons that clearly manifested themselves precisely during this period.

The twentieth century is a turning point not only in world social history, but also in the very fate of mankind. The fundamental difference between the outgoing century and all previous history is that humanity has lost faith in its immortality. He became aware of the fact that his dominance over nature is not unlimited and is fraught with the death of himself. In fact, never before has humanity itself grown by a factor of 2.5 in the lifetime of only one generation, thereby increasing the strength of the “demographic press”. Never before has mankind entered a period of scientific and technological revolution, has not reached the post-industrial stage of development, has not opened the way to space. Never before has it required so many natural resources to sustain itself, and the amount of waste it has returned to the environment has not been so great either. Never before has there been such a globalization of the world economy, such a unified world information system. Finally, never before has the Cold War brought all of humanity so close to the brink of self-destruction. Even if it is possible to avoid a world nuclear war, the threat to the existence of mankind on Earth still remains, because the planet will not withstand the unbearable load that has been formed as a result of human activity. It is becoming more and more obvious that the historical form of human existence, which allowed him to create a modern civilization, with all its seemingly limitless possibilities and conveniences, gave rise to many problems that require cardinal solutions - and, moreover, without delay.

The purpose of this essay is to give modern ideas about the essence of global problems and the nature of their interrelations.

LOOKING AT GLOBAL ISSUES

In the process of the historical development of human activity, obsolete technological methods are breaking down, and with them the obsolete social mechanisms of interaction between man and nature. At the beginning of human history, predominantly adaptive (adaptive) mechanisms of interaction operated. Man obeyed the forces of nature, adapted to the changes taking place in it, changing his own nature in the process. Then, as the productive forces developed, the utilitarian attitude of man to nature, to another man, prevailed. The modern era raises the question of the transition to a new path of social mechanisms, which should be called co-evolutionary or harmonic. The global situation in which humanity finds itself reflects and expresses the general crisis of human consumer attitudes towards natural and social resources. Reason is pushing humanity to realize the vital need to harmonize connections and relationships in the global system "Man - Technology - Nature". In this regard, understanding the global problems of our time, their causes, interrelationships, and ways to solve them is of particular importance.

global problems they name those problems that, firstly, concern all mankind, affecting the interests and destinies of all countries, peoples and social strata; secondly, they lead to significant economic and social losses, and in case of their aggravation, they can threaten the very existence of human civilization; thirdly, they require cooperation on a global scale, joint actions of all countries and peoples for their solution.

The above definition can hardly be considered sufficiently clear and unambiguous. And their classifications according to one or another feature are often too vague. From the point of view of an overview of global problems, the most acceptable is the classification that combines all global problems into three groups:

1. Problems of economic and political interaction of states (intersocial). Among them, the most topical are: global security; the globalization of political power and the structure of civil society; overcoming the technological and economic backwardness of developing countries and establishing a new international order.

2. Problems of interaction between society and nature (environmental and social). First of all, these are: prevention of catastrophic pollution of the environment; providing humanity with the necessary natural resources; exploration of the oceans and outer space.

3. Problems of relationships between people and society (sociocultural). The main ones are: the problem of population growth; the problem of protecting and strengthening people's health; problems of education and cultural growth.

All these problems are generated by the disunity of mankind, the unevenness of its development. The conscious principle has not yet become the most important prerequisite for humanity as a whole. Negative results and consequences of uncoordinated, ill-conceived actions of countries, peoples, individuals, accumulating on a global scale, have become a powerful objective factor in world economic and social development. They have an increasingly significant impact on the development of individual countries and regions. Their solution involves the unification of the efforts of a large number of states and organizations at the international level. In order to have a clear idea of ​​the strategy and methodology for solving global problems, it is necessary to dwell on the characteristics of at least the most topical of them.

INTERSOCIAL PROBLEMS

Global Security

In recent years, this topic has attracted particular attention in political and scientific circles, and a huge number of special studies have been devoted to it. This in itself is a testament to the awareness of the fact that the survival and possibility of the development of mankind are under threats such as it has never experienced in the past.

Indeed, in the old days, the concept of security was identified mainly with the defense of the country from aggression. Now, it also means protection from threats associated with natural disasters and man-made disasters, the economic crisis, political instability, the spread of subversive information, moral degradation, the impoverishment of the national gene pool, etc.

All these vast problems are rightfully the subject of concern both in individual countries and within the world community. It will be considered in one way or another in all parts of the research undertaken. At the same time, it remains, and in some respects even increases, military threat.

The confrontation between the two superpowers and military blocs has brought the world close to a nuclear catastrophe. The cessation of this confrontation and the first steps towards real disarmament were undoubtedly the greatest achievement of international politics. They proved the fundamental ability to break out of the cycle that was inexorably pushing humanity into the abyss, to turn sharply from inciting hostility and hatred to attempts to understand each other, take into account mutual interests, and open the way to cooperation and partnership.

The results of this policy cannot be overestimated. Chief among them is the absence of an immediate danger of a world war with the use of means of mass destruction and the threat of the general extermination of life on Earth. But can it be argued that world wars are now and forever excluded from history, that such a danger will not arise again after some time due to the emergence of a new armed confrontation or the spontaneous expansion of a local conflict to world proportions, a technical failure, an unauthorized launch of missiles with nuclear warheads, and other cases of this kind? This is one of the most important global security issues today.

The problem of conflicts arising on the basis of inter-confessional rivalry requires special attention. Are traditional geopolitical contradictions hidden behind them, or is the world facing the threat of a revival of jihads and crusades inspired by fundamentalists of various persuasions? No matter how unexpected such a prospect may seem in an era of widespread democratic and humanistic values, the dangers associated with it are too great not to take the necessary measures to prevent them.

Other pressing security issues include joint fight against terrorism, political and criminal, crime, distribution of drugs.

Thus, the efforts of the world community to create a system of global security should follow the path of advancing towards: collective security universal type, covering all members of the world community; security complex type covering, along with the military, other factors of strategic instability; security long-term type meeting the needs of a democratic global system as a whole.

Politics and Power in a Globalizing World

As in other areas of life, globalization entails fundamental changes in the field of politics, structure and distribution of power. The ability of humanity to keep the process of globalization under control, using its positive aspects and minimizing negative consequences, adequately responding to economic, social, environmental, spiritual and other challenges of the XXI century.

The “compression” of space due to the revolution in the field of communications and the formation of a world market, the need for universal solidarity in the face of impending threats are steadily reducing the possibilities of national politics and multiplying the number of regional, continental, global problems. As the interdependence of individual societies increases, this trend not only dominates the foreign policy of states, but also makes itself felt more and more in domestic political issues.

Meanwhile, sovereign states remain the basis of the "organizational structure" of the world community. Under the conditions of this “dual power”, a reasonable balance between national and global politics, an optimal distribution of “duties” between them, and their organic interaction are urgently needed.

How realistic is this pairing, whether it will be possible to overcome the opposition of the forces of national and group egoism, to use the unique chance that is opening up to form a democratic world order - this is the main subject of research.

The experience of recent years does not allow an unambiguous answer to this question. The elimination of the division of the world into two opposing military-political blocs did not lead to the expected democratization of the entire system of international relations, to the elimination of hegemonism or to a reduction in the use of force. The temptation is great to start a new round of geopolitical games, a redistribution of spheres of influence. The process of disarmament, which was given impetus by new thinking, has noticeably slowed down. Instead of some conflicts, others flared up, no less bloody. In general, after a step forward, which was the end of the Cold War, half a step back was taken.

All this does not give grounds to believe that the possibilities of democratic reorganization of the international system have been exhausted, but it does indicate that this task is much more difficult than it seemed ten years ago to the politicians who dared to undertake it. It remains an open question whether the bipolar world will be replaced by a new version of it with the replacement of the Soviet Union by some kind of superpower, monocentrism, polycentrism, or, finally, democratic management of the affairs of the world community through generally acceptable mechanisms and procedures.

Along with the creation of a new system of international relations and the redistribution of power between states, other factors that are actively influencing the formation of the world order of the 21st century are becoming increasingly important. International financial institutions, transnational corporations, powerful information complexes such as the Internet, global communications systems, associations of kindred political parties and social movements, religious, cultural, corporate associations - all these institutions of the emerging global civil society may in the long term acquire a strong influence on the course of world development. Whether they become vehicles of limited national or even selfish private interests or an instrument of global politics is a matter of great importance that needs in-depth study.

Thus, the emerging global system needs a reasonably organized legitimate government that expresses the collective will of the world community and has sufficient authority to solve global problems.

The global economy is a challenge for national economies

In economics, science, and technology, globalization manifests itself most intensively. Transnational corporations and banks, uncontrolled financial flows, a single worldwide system of electronic communication and information, modern transport, the transformation of the English language into a means of “global” communication, large-scale population migration - all this blurs the national-state partitions and forms an economically integrated world.

At the same time, for a huge number of countries and peoples, the status of a sovereign state is a means of protecting and ensuring economic interests.

The contradiction between globalism and nationalism in economic development is becoming an urgent problem. Are national states really losing their ability to determine economic policy, and to what extent, giving way to transnational corporations? And if so, what are the consequences for the social environment, the formation and regulation of which is still carried out mainly at the national-state level?

With the end of the military and ideological confrontation between the two worlds, as well as progress in the field of disarmament, globalization received a powerful additional impetus. The relationship between market transformation in Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space, in China, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, on the one hand, and economic globalization, on the other, is a new and promising area of ​​research and forecasting.

Apparently, a new sphere of confrontation between two powerful forces is opening up: the national bureaucracy (and everything that stands behind it) and the international economic environment, which is losing its national “registration” and obligations.

The next layer of problems is the attack of the globalizing economy on the institutions of social protection created over many decades, the welfare state. Globalization sharply exacerbates economic competition. As a result, the social climate inside and outside the enterprise worsens. This also applies to transnational corporations.

So far, the lion's share of the benefits and fruits of globalization go to rich and powerful states. The danger of global economic shocks is noticeably increasing. The global financial system is particularly vulnerable, as it breaks away from the real economy and can become a victim of speculative scams. The need for joint management of globalization processes is obvious. But is it possible and in what forms?

Finally, the world will apparently have to face the dramatic need to rethink the basic foundations of economic activity. This is due to at least two circumstances. First, the rapidly deepening environmental crisis requires significant changes to the dominant economic system, both nationally and globally. A "market failure" in pollution control could indeed be the "end of history" in the not too distant future. Secondly, a serious problem is the “social failure” of the market, which manifests itself, in particular, in the growing polarization of the rich North and the poor South.

All this raises the most difficult questions regarding the place in the regulation of the future world economy of the classical mechanisms of market self-regulation, on the one hand, and the conscious activity of state, interstate and supranational bodies, on the other.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS

The essence of this range of global problems lies in the disruption of the balance of biospheric processes that is dangerous for the existence of mankind. In the 20th century, technological civilization came into a threatening conflict with the biosphere, which for billions of years was formed as a system that ensured the continuity of life and the optimal environment. Without solving social problems for the majority of mankind, the technogenic development of civilization has led to the destruction of the habitat. Ecological and social crisis has become a reality of the twentieth century.

The ecological crisis is the main challenge of civilization

It is known that life on Earth exists in the form of cycles of organic matter based on the interaction of the processes of synthesis and destruction. Each type of organism is a link in the cycle, the process of reproduction of organic matter. The function of synthesis in this process is performed by green plants. Destruction function - microorganisms. Man in the early stages of his history was a natural link in the biosphere and the biotic cycle. The changes he introduced into nature did not have a decisive influence on the biosphere. Today man has become the greatest planetary force. Suffice it to say that annually about 10 billion tons of minerals are extracted from the bowels of the Earth, 3-4 billion tons of plant mass are consumed, and about 10 billion tons of industrial carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere. More than 5 million tons of oil and oil products are dumped into the World Ocean and rivers. The problem of drinking water is getting worse every day. The air atmosphere of a modern industrial city is a mixture of smoke, toxic fumes and dust. Many species of animals and plants are disappearing. The great balance of nature has been disturbed to such an extent that a gloomy forecast of "human ecological suicide" has appeared.

Voices are heard more and more loudly about the need to abandon any industrial interference in the natural balance, to stop technical progress. However, to solve the ecological problem by throwing humanity back to a medieval state is a utopia. And not only because people will not give up the achievements of technological progress. But, on the other hand, many in the world of science and politics still rely on an artificial mechanism for regulating the environment in the event of a deep destruction of the biosphere. Therefore, science is faced with the task of finding out whether this is real or is it a myth generated by the “Promethean” spirit of modern civilization?

Satisfaction of mass consumer demand is recognized as the most important factor of internal socio-political stability. And this is put by influential political and economic elites above global environmental security.

Unfortunately, a biospheric catastrophe is quite possible. Therefore, an honest awareness of the scale of the environmental threat and intellectual fearlessness in the face of this challenge to humanity is necessary. The fact is that changes in the biosphere, including catastrophic ones, have occurred and will continue to occur independently of man, so we should not talk about complete obedience to nature, but about the harmonization of natural and social processes based on the humanization of scientific and technological progress and a radical reorganization of the entire system of social relations.

Endowment with natural resources

Mineral resources

Despite acute crises that have occurred from time to time in developed countries and countries with economies in transition, the global trend is still characterized by a further increase in industrial production, accompanied by an increase in the demand for minerals. This stimulated the growth in the extraction of mineral resources, which, for example, over the period 1980-2000. in total exceeds by 1.2-2 times the production for the previous twenty years. And forecasts show that this trend will continue. Naturally, the question arises: are the resources of mineral raw materials contained in the bowels of the Earth sufficient to ensure the indicated enormous acceleration in the extraction of minerals in the short and long term. This question is logical especially because, unlike other natural resources, mineral resources are non-renewable on the scale of the past future history of mankind, and, strictly speaking, limited and finite within our planet.

The problem of limited mineral resources has become especially acute because, in addition to the growth of industrial production, which is associated with an increasing demand for mineral raw materials, it is exacerbated by the extremely uneven distribution of deposits in the bowels of the earth's crust across continents and countries. Which, in turn, exacerbates economic and political conflicts between countries.

Thus, the global nature of the problem of providing humanity with mineral resources predetermines the need for the development of broad international cooperation here. The difficulties experienced by many countries of the world due to the lack of certain types of mineral raw materials in them could be overcome on the basis of mutually beneficial scientific, technical and economic cooperation. Such cooperation can be very effective when jointly conducting regional geological and geophysical studies in promising zones of the earth's crust or through joint exploration and exploitation of large mineral deposits, by assisting in the industrial development of complex deposits on a compensation basis, and finally, through the implementation of mutually beneficial trade in mineral raw materials. and his products.

Land resources

The features and properties of the land determine its exclusive place in the development of the productive forces of society. The relationship "man - earth" that has developed over the centuries remains at the present time and in the foreseeable future one of the determining factors of world life and progress. Furthermore, land availability problem due to the trend of population growth will be constantly exacerbated.

The nature and forms of land use in different countries differ significantly. At the same time, a number of aspects of the use of land resources are common to the entire world community. This is first of all protection of land resources, especially land fertility, from natural and anthropogenic degradation.

Modern trends in the use of land resources in the world are expressed in a wide intensification of the use of productive lands, the involvement of additional areas in economic circulation, the expansion of land allotments for non-agricultural needs, and the strengthening of activities to regulate the use and protection of land at the national level. At the same time, the problem of economical, rational use and protection of land resources should be under more and more close attention of international organizations. The limited and indispensable nature of land resources, taking into account population growth and the continuous increase in the scale of social production, require their effective use in all countries of the world with ever closer international cooperation in this area. On the other hand, the land simultaneously acts as one of the main components of the biosphere, as a universal means of labor and as a spatial basis for the functioning of the productive forces and their reproduction. All this determines the task of organizing a scientifically based, economical and rational use of land resources as one of the global ones at the present stage of human development.

food resources

Providing food for the ever-growing population of the Earth is one of the long-term and most complex problems of the world economy and politics.

According to experts, the aggravation of the world food problem is the result of the combined action of the following reasons: 1) excessive pressure on the natural potential of agriculture and fisheries, which prevents its natural restoration; 2) insufficient rates of scientific and technological progress in agriculture in those countries that do not compensate for the declining scale of natural renewal of resources; 3) the ever-increasing instability in world trade in food, fodder, and fertilizers.

Of course, scientific and technological progress and an increase in the production of high-quality agricultural products, incl. and food crops can allow in the future to double and triple. Further intensification of agricultural production, as well as the expansion of productive land, are real ways to solve this problem on a daily basis. But, the key to its solution lies all the same in the political and social plane. Many rightly note that without the establishment of a fair economic and political world order, without overcoming the backwardness of most countries, without socio-economic transformations in developing countries and countries with economies in transition that would correspond to the level of requirements of accelerating scientific and technological progress, with mutually beneficial international mutual assistance - the solution the food problem will remain the lot of the distant future.

Energetic resources

A characteristic feature of the future development of the world energy sector will be the constant growth of the share of converted energy carriers in the final use of energy (primarily electric energy). The increase in prices for electricity, especially basic electricity, is much slower than for hydrocarbon fuels. In the future, when nuclear energy sources play a more prominent role than at present, one should expect stabilization or even a reduction in the cost of electricity.

In the future, the share of world energy consumption by developing countries is expected to grow rapidly (up to 50%). The shift in the center of gravity of energy problems during the first half of the 21st century from developed countries to developing ones puts forward completely new tasks for humanity in the social and economic restructuring of the world, which must be started now. With a relatively low supply of energy resources to developing countries, this creates a complex problem for humanity, which can develop into a crisis situation during the 21st century if appropriate organizational, economic and political measures are not taken.

One of the priorities of the energy development strategy in the developing countries region should be an immediate transition to new energy sources that can reduce their dependence on imported liquid fuels and put an end to the unacceptable deforestation that serves as their main source of fuel.

In view of the global nature of these problems, their solution, as well as those listed above, is possible only with the further development of international cooperation, by strengthening and expanding economic and technical assistance to developing countries from developed countries.

Exploration of the oceans

The problem of the development of the World Ocean has acquired a global character due to a set of reasons: 1) a sharp aggravation and transformation into global problems such as the above-described raw materials, energy, food, in the solution of which the use of the resource potential of the ocean can and should make a huge contribution; 2) the creation of powerful technical means of management in terms of productivity, which determined not only the possibility, but also the need for a comprehensive study and development of marine resources and spaces; 3) the emergence of interstate relations of resource management, production and management in the maritime economy, which turned the declarative thesis of a collective (with the participation of all states) process of ocean development into a political necessity, caused the inevitability of finding a compromise with the participation and satisfaction of the interests of all major groups of countries independently on geographical location and level of development; 4) awareness by the vast majority of developing countries of the role that the use of the ocean can play in solving the problems of underdevelopment, in accelerating their economic development; 5) transformation into a global environmental problem, the most important element of which is the World Ocean, which absorbs the main part of the pollutants.

From the ocean, man has long received food for himself. Therefore, it is very important to study the vital activity of ecological systems in the hydrosphere, to identify the possibility of stimulating their productivity. This, in turn, leads to the need for knowledge of very complex and hidden for direct observation and far from known biological processes in the ocean, the study of which requires close international cooperation.

And in general, there is no other alternative to the division of vast spaces and resources than broad and equal international cooperation in their development.

SOCIO-CULTURAL PROBLEMS

In this group, the priority is the problem of population. Moreover, it cannot be reduced only to the reproduction of the population and its gender and age composition. We are talking here primarily about the relationship between the processes of reproduction of the population and social methods of production of material goods. If the production of material goods lags behind population growth, then the material situation of people will worsen. Conversely, if population growth is declining, then this ultimately leads to population aging and a reduction in the production of material goods.

The rapid population growth observed at the end of the 20th century in the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America is associated, first of all, with the liberation of these countries from the colonial yoke and their entry into a new stage of economic development. A new "demographic explosion" has exacerbated the problems generated by the spontaneity, unevenness and antagonistic nature of human development. All this resulted in a sharp deterioration in the nutrition and health of the population. To the shame of civilized mankind, more than 500 million people (one in ten) are chronically malnourished every day, lead a half-starved existence, and this is mainly in countries with the most favorable conditions for the development of agricultural production. As the analysis carried out by UNESCO experts shows, the causes of hunger in these countries must be sought in the dominance of monocultures (cotton, coffee, cocoa, bananas, etc.) and the low level of agricultural technology. The vast majority of families engaged in agriculture on all continents of the planet still cultivate the land with the help of a hoe and plow. Children suffer the most from malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization, 40,000 children under the age of 5 who could have been saved die every day. This is about 15 million people a year.

The problem of education remains an acute global problem. Currently, almost every fourth inhabitant of our planet over the age of 15 remains illiterate. The number of illiterates is increasing annually by 7 million people. The solution to this problem, like others, rests on the lack of material resources for the development of the education system, while at the same time, as we have already noted, the military-industrial complex absorbs huge resources.

No less burning are the questions that in their totality fix the cultural, religious and moral problems of the process of globalization.

The idea of ​​international justice can be declared as the basic principle of coexistence and free development of civilizations and cultures. The problem of transferring the principles of democracy as a tool for coordinating interests and organizing cooperation to relations between countries, peoples, and civilizations becomes topical in the process of globalization of the world.

CONCLUSION

An analysis of the global problems of our time shows the presence of a complex and branched system of causal relationships between them. The largest problems and their groups are to some extent connected and intertwined. And any key and major problem can consist of many private, but no less important in their topicality, problems.

For thousands of years, man lived, worked, developed, but he did not even suspect that the day might come when it would become difficult, or maybe impossible, to breathe clean air, drink clean water, grow anything on the ground, since the air is ¾ polluted , water ¾ poisoned, soil ¾ contaminated with radiation or other chemicals. But a lot has changed since then. And in our age, this is a very real threat, and not many people realize it. Such people, ¾ owners of large factories, oil and gas industry, think only about themselves, about their wallet. They neglect safety rules, ignore the requirements of the environmental police, GREANPEACE, sometimes they are reluctant or too lazy to buy new filters for industrial effluents, gases that pollute the atmosphere. And what can be the conclusion? ¾ Another Chernobyl, if not worse. So maybe we should think about it?

Each person must realize that Mankind is on the verge of death, and whether we survive or not is the merit of each of us.

The globalization of world development processes implies international cooperation and solidarity within the world scientific community, an increase in the social and humanistic responsibility of scientists. Science for man and mankind, science in order to solve the global problems of modernity and social progress - this is the true humanistic orientation that should unite scientists from all over the world. This implies not only a closer unity of science and practice, but also the development of the fundamental problems of the future of mankind, the development of the unity and interaction of sciences, the strengthening of their ideological and moral foundations that correspond to the conditions of global problems of our time.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Aleksandrova I.I., Baikov N.M., Beschinsky A.A. etc. Global energy problem. Moscow: Thought, 1985

2. Allen D., Nelson M. Space biospheres. M., 1991

3. Baransky N.N. Economical geography. Economic cartography. M., 1956

4. Vernadsky V.I. Scientific thought as a planetary phenomenon. M. 1991

5. Global problems and civilizational shift. M., 1983

6. Global economic processes: analysis and modeling: Sat. Art. M.: CEMI. 1986

7. Zotov A.F. A new type of global civilization // Polis. 1993. No. 4.

8. Isachenko A.G. Geography in the modern world. M.: Enlightenment, 1998

Economic problems of mankind

economic problem- a global problem of mankind associated with the depletion of resources and the division of the world into poles of economic development, with the provision of food and scientific and technical revolutions (scientific and technological revolutions).

Consider examples.

Economic problems	Examples
Depletion of wildlife resources	Researchers from Michigan State University (USA) studied how the need for fuel affects the state of the Wolong reserve, located in Sichuan province (China). Wolong is one of the largest reserves, whose task is to protect the giant panda. Over the past thirty years, people have cut down a significant amount of forest, significantly reducing the habitat of pandas. If the government does nothing to meet the needs of the villages for fuel, the situation may become critical.
Depletion of mineral resources	In 2008, the total amount of phosphates mined was 161 million tons. According to US Geological Survey experts, the need for fertilizers in the next 5 years will increase annually by 2.5-3%. If this rate of phosphate use continues, then all of the world's reserves could be used up in 125 years.
Depletion of water resources	According to the Water Resources Institute, 1/3 of the world's current population - about two billion people - are already experiencing water shortages. Now in the world 1.1 billion people live in a state of "water crisis". At the same time, between 700 million and 900 million people live in a state of water stress - they regularly lack water, for example, during the dry season, which in many areas lasts six months.
food problem	1. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia in 1991-1993. famine claimed the lives of 280,000 Somalis. 2. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every day in the world 24,000 people die from hunger and diseases directly related to it. And according to the World Bank, the global food crisis will last until 2015.
Scientific and technological revolutions (NTR)	In developed countries, the scientific and technological revolution has led to an increase in unemployment, which in turn has led to a decrease in the birth rate. And in countries with a transitional type of reproduction, the decrease in mortality is not accompanied by a corresponding decrease in the birth rate. In developing countries, a specific age structure is being formed, where a large proportion is occupied by young people under 17 years of age (more than 2/5 of the population, while in Europe this figure is 1/3).

Global problems

Global problems of our time is a set of socio-natural problems, on the solution of which the social progress of mankind and the preservation of civilization depend. These problems are characterized by dynamism, they arise as an objective factor in the development of society, and for their solution they require the combined efforts of all mankind. Global problems are interconnected, cover all aspects of people's lives and concern all countries of the world.

List of global issues

· Unresolved problem of reversal of aging in humans and low public awareness of negligible aging.

· the problem of "North-South" - the gap in development between rich and poor countries, poverty, hunger and illiteracy;

· prevention of thermonuclear war and ensuring peace for all peoples, prevention by the world community of unauthorized proliferation of nuclear technologies, radioactive contamination of the environment;

prevention of catastrophic environmental pollution

• reduction of biodiversity;

· provision of mankind with resources, exhaustion of oil, natural gas, coal, fresh water, wood, non-ferrous metals;

· global warming;

ozone holes;

The problem of cardiovascular, oncological diseases and AIDS.

· Demographic development (population explosion in developing countries and demographic crisis in developed countries), possible famine.

· terrorism;

· asteroid hazard;

· underestimation of global threats to the existence of mankind, such as the development of unfriendly artificial intelligence and global catastrophes.

Global problems are the result of the confrontation between nature and human culture, as well as the inconsistency or incompatibility of multidirectional trends in the course of the development of human culture itself. Natural nature exists on the principle of negative feedback (see biotic regulation of the environment), while human culture - on the principle of positive feedback.

Social problems

Social problems, public problems- issues and situations that directly or indirectly affect a person and, from the point of view of all or a significant number of members of the community, are quite serious problems that require collective efforts to overcome them.

The specific list of social problems differs at different times and in different societies, and the discourse of their perception and representation changes over time.

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Speaking about modern interstate problems, it should be borne in mind that in the second half of the twentieth century, humanity faced the problem of survival and self-preservation. Such a threat appeared due to the natural-historical development of the world community, when humanity faced a number of problems, called global ones. Global problems are problems that affect the vital interests of all mankind and require coordinated international actions on the scale of the world community for their solution.

Global problems of mankind can be divided into four main groups:

1. Problems predominantly of a socio-political nature: the prevention of nuclear war; cessation of the arms race, resolution of regional and interstate conflicts; building a non-violent world based on the establishment of trust between peoples, strengthening the system of universal security.

2. Problems predominantly of a socio-economic nature: overcoming underdevelopment and related poverty and cultural backwardness; ensuring efficient production and reproduction of the world gross domestic product; search for ways to resolve the energy, raw materials and food crises; optimization of the demographic situation, especially in developing countries; development for peaceful purposes of the near-Earth space and the World Ocean.

3. Socio-environmental problems caused by further deterioration of the natural habitat of people. With particular urgency, the need arose for measures to improve the gaseous envelope of the atmosphere; on the harmonious development of animate and inanimate nature; on the rational use of the natural potential of the planet; to prevent harmful effects on the nature of military activities.

4. Human problems, including the human dimension of social progress: observance of social, economic and individual rights and freedoms; elimination of hunger, epidemic diseases, ignorance; spiritual development of the personality; overcoming the alienation of a person from nature, society, the state, other people and the results of their own life.

The global problems of our time have arisen as a natural result of the development and social progress of society as a whole. Their single, systemic nature is fully confirmed by practice. Thus, the increased military danger and the buildup of the arms race inevitably exacerbate the raw materials, environmental and other problems. And steps aimed at eliminating the backwardness of the developing countries in the economy will entail a satisfactory solution of such problems as food, energy and raw materials.

Of all global problems, the problem of maintaining peace and preventing a nuclear catastrophe is directly and directly related to politics. This is not accidental, since this problem arose as a result of the confrontation of political forces represented by states. Being a means of achieving the political goals of certain social forces, “a continuation of their policy, in the words of K. Clausewitz, by other means,” war turns into a tragedy for peoples, as evidenced by the entire history of mankind.

The "continuation of politics by other means" plunged peoples into wars and armed conflicts about 15,000 times. Only 292 years of the entire history of mankind did without wars. Over the period of human history studied by science, wars have claimed more than 3.5 billion human lives. Moreover, as the means of destruction improved, the scale of wars also grew. In the twentieth century along with local reality, world wars have also become. If the Thirty Years' War, which was fought in 1618-1648, and turned out to be the first war in which almost all the states of Western Europe were involved, claimed 600 thousand human lives, then the First World War of 1914-1918. – about 9.5 million. The total number of victims, including those killed, starved to death, disease and aerial bombardment, in World War II reached 55 million people. In terms of the number of people who died daily (on average), the Second World War surpassed the Crimean (1853–1856) by 119 times, the Russo-Japanese (1904–1905) by 60 and the First World War by 2.6 times.

After the Second World War, unfortunately, the wars did not stop. During the time that has passed since this war, more than 200 local wars and armed conflicts have been unleashed, in which a huge number of people died in different countries: Korea - 1.7 million; Vietnam - 3 million; Algeria - 0.9 million; Bangladesh - 3.5 million, etc. A huge number of human lives have been claimed in recent years by armed conflicts on the territory of the former republics of the Soviet Union, the US bombing of Iraq, Yugoslavia.

The policy of confrontation over the past decades has pushed the governments of countries to spend huge amounts of money on the creation of special agencies for conducting wars, on the creation and accumulation of weapons of mass destruction.

State budget spending on defense as a percentage of Israel's gross national product in 1989 was 20%; USSR - 6.6%; Greece - 5.5%, etc. downward trend in military spending. In the 1990s, arms spending increased significantly in many countries. The leaders of a number of countries have openly spoken about this more than once. For example, in January 1999, then US President B. Clinton said in his State of the Union address: "The time has come to reverse the downward trend in military spending that began in 1985." Military spending per capita in 1995 in Russia was $113; in Portugal - respectively 220; in Italy - 351; Belgium - 396; Germany - 430; Greece - 447; the Netherlands - 454; Great Britain - 575; France - 739; Norway - 749; USA - 1054. Daily military spending of all countries today reaches 1.5 billion dollars.

Huge defense appropriations allowed states to accumulate a large number of not only conventional, but also nuclear, chemical, bacteriological and other weapons, the latest types of which are being distributed throughout the world. According to scientists, the world has accumulated 10,000 tons of explosives for every living person. There are no reliable guarantees against the creation of nuclear weapons by many countries. The detonators of a new world war can be any local armed conflicts, some of which can be eliminated, but others arise. A world war is fraught not only with innumerable victims, but also with the destruction of the environment - an almost instantaneous ecological catastrophe and the death of all mankind. Therefore, the most important task is to preserve peace and prevent a thermonuclear catastrophe.

The solution to this problem is realistic if all the subjects of politics, all the people of our planet are aware of the imminent danger of their destruction in the event of a war, understand that the modern world is one, integral and interconnected. Its achievement is possible on the path of renunciation of wars as a means of resolving political issues in domestic and international relations, general disarmament, recognition of the right of free and independent development of all peoples. It is still too far from the establishment of such a state.

There are forces in the world community that are interested in a different development of events. This, in particular, is evidenced by the speech of US President B. Clinton at a closed meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 25, 1995, where he said: “In relation to the Russian Federation, the following problems will have to be solved: the dismemberment of Russia into small states through interregional wars , similar to those that were organized by us in Yugoslavia, the final division of the military-industrial complex of Russia and the army, the establishment of regimes in the republics that have broken away from Russia, which we need. And on January 22, 2004, US President George W. Bush, speaking to Congress with his annual State of the Union address, reiterated that the United States reserves the right to go to war at any time if the nation is threatened. "America will never ask permission to protect the safety of its citizens," Bush said. "The work is not done," he warned, promising to continue the fight against regimes that "support terrorism at the state level."

Solving the problem of preserving peace and preventing the threat of thermonuclear war is closely connected with the implementation of all other global problems, primarily environmental ones.

Unlike the military problem, which is in no way connected with the natural needs of mankind and can be solved on the basis of relevant agreements and treaties of the parties concerned, the problem of environmental conservation is organically conditioned by a sharp increase in human economic activity, dictated by the natural trends of social development: an increase in the population, its striving for progress, improvement of material well-being, etc.

Excessive, without looking back, human exploitation of nature has led to massive deforestation, deterioration in the quality of fresh water resources, pollution of the seas, lakes, rivers, destruction of the ozone layer, which poses a great danger to people's lives. As a result of deforestation and an increase in the mass of fuel burned, the proportion of carbon dioxide in the air is increasing. Emissions of other chemical atmospheric pollutants (nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides) are increasing, resulting in “acid rain”. There is a warming of the climate on the planet, leading to the emergence of the so-called "greenhouse effect". The catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which led to great loss of life, radioactive contamination of large areas of land for many years, was menacingly reminded of the enormous responsibility of people for their deeds.

Here are just some of the data that clearly illustrate what has been said. For the twentieth century The world's population has more than tripled to almost 6 billion people. During this time, industrial production has grown more than 50 times, and the consumption of natural fuel - more than 30 times.

Over the past 30 years, 50% of the tropical forests of Asia and Latin America have been destroyed. Huge forest areas have disappeared in other regions during this time. Along with the reduction of forest area, many species of plants and animals are disappearing. From 1600 to the present, according to the International Survival Commission, 63 species of mammals and 94 species of birds have irretrievably disappeared from the face of the Earth. Much more species of animals and birds are on the verge of extinction today.

From 1800 to 2000 As a result of burning fossil fuels, about 180 billion tons of carbon dioxide are emitted into the atmosphere. As a result, its concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 25% over the past 200 years. Only the countries of the European Economic Community annually emit 18 million tons of sulfur dioxide and 10 million tons of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere.

The use of non-renewable and renewable resources has also approached a dangerous limit. Several million hectares of fertile land are lost every year. These losses are practically non-renewable, since it takes several centuries to restore the destroyed soil. The use of minerals is a serious concern. If the rates of their extraction remain the same as at present, then copper, lead, tin, zinc will last for 20-30 years, the reserves of raw materials for the production of iron, aluminum will disappear in 260-570 years, the situation with the reserves is no better. other minerals. In recent years, the problem of the use of minerals has become very acute in the Russian Federation due to the access of foreign companies to them, which threatens to increase the export of raw materials.

At present, the acuteness of the environmental problem is intensifying as a result of its sharp politicization, because the struggle for raw materials, energy resources, spheres of influence, etc. is intensifying. The ecological crisis cannot be overcome by solving some particular problems. Solving the environmental problem is the most urgent task of the entire world community and requires the implementation of a whole range of drastic measures. The implementation of this task will largely relieve the acuteness of all other global problems, primarily energy, raw materials, and food.

The last decades have been marked by the growing concern of mankind, caused by the stream of dangerous diseases and addictions that has fallen upon it. Cardiovascular and oncological diseases, AIDS, alcoholism, drug addiction have acquired an international character and become one of the global problems. The fight against these diseases, given that the secret of their cure cannot be solved quickly, and some of them are capable of infecting healthy people who do not have immune defenses through the source of the infectious agent, becomes extremely important.

The whole world cannot but be disturbed by the deepening difference in the standard of living of the peoples of developed and developing countries. At the beginning of the twentieth century. the share of national income per capita in developed countries exceeded this figure in developing countries by 6 times, in the 1980s by 12 times, and by 2000 this excess had become 13 times. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that if in 1950 2/3 of the entire world population lived in these countries, in the 80s - 3/4, then by the end of the 20th century. its share was 4/5. The growing well-being of some against the backdrop of the hopeless situation of others is a paradoxical picture of the modern world. The underdeveloped countries are often hit by famine, resulting in the death of a large number of people. Every year, 13-18 million people die of starvation in African countries alone. Having gained political independence, they found themselves in direct economic dependence on developed countries (their debts amounted to $1,300 billion). This turns poor countries into a zone of epidemics and social conflicts, fraught with social explosions that are dangerous for all mankind.

The situation is aggravated by the fact that the poor countries are not able to overcome their backwardness on their own and their lagging behind the highly developed countries is increasing. It is inhuman and dangerous for highly developed countries to remain on the sidelines, not to help these distressed peoples through joint efforts. They need not only immediate humanitarian assistance, but also serious long-term support in the development of productive forces. To ensure its success - to eliminate the causes of suffering for people in poor countries - is possible only through the joint efforts of the world community.

Among the global problems of our time that require urgent solutions are also the discrepancy in the ratio between the demographic growth of the population and the dynamics of the productive forces; the growth of crime, especially the drug mafia; international terrorism, among the various forms of which the most dangerous is state terrorism directed against the peoples and legitimate authorities of other countries.

These are the main global problems of our time. They are organically linked and intertwined with many other international problems. The very essence of the global problems of our time, concerning all mankind, requires joint action on a global scale. To solve them, constructive, constructive cooperation on the scale of the entire planet is necessary. Their solution, therefore, requires the joint efforts of all states.

Every person has problems. Relations with loved ones are not going well, there is not enough money to fulfill any desires, failures in study and work, etc. But on a global scale, these are trifles. At this level, there are completely different issues - these are the global problems of society. Can they be solved?

History and origins

Global problems in one way or another worry humanity throughout its development. But those that have not been resolved even today have become extremely relevant relatively recently, in the last third of the 20th century.

According to most researchers, all the global problems of the modern world are closely interrelated, and their solution should be comprehensive, not isolated. Perhaps the whole point is in the concept of humanity's relationship to its home - the planet Earth. For a very, very long time, it was exclusively consumer. People did not think about the future, about what kind of world their children and more distant descendants would have to live in.

As a result, we have come to an extreme degree of dependence on the contents of the earth's interior, not wanting to fully use renewable energy sources. At the same time, these global problems acquired a truly catastrophic scale simultaneously with the population explosion, which aggravated them. He, one might say, is the reason why there is a lack of resources, forcing deeper and deeper bite into the earth's crust, closing this vicious circle. All this is accompanied by an extreme degree of social tension, which gives rise to misunderstanding between different states, and ignoring this problem inexorably leads to an increase in the likelihood of a global armed conflict.

Levels of human problems

Without a doubt, the scale of burning issues varies. There are problems:

• individual, that is, affecting the life of one person and, possibly, his loved ones;
• local, regional, which are related to the development of the district, region, etc.;
• state, those that are important for the whole country or most of it;
• international, affecting the macro-region, which may include many territories;
• global, planetary scale, relating to almost everyone.

Of course, this does not mean that the problems of one person are unimportant and not worth attention to them. But on a global scale, they are really insignificant. What is conflict with superiors compared to the hunger and poverty of a billion people or the threat of nuclear war? Of course, it can be said that the happiness of each individual person leads to general well-being, but without solving the global problems of mankind, this cannot be achieved. And what are these questions?

Environmental

Global problems primarily include human influence on nature. Yes, this is indeed one of the most important issues, because people are literally destroying their home. Air, water and soil pollution, animal and plant extinction, ozone depletion, deforestation and desertification. Of course, some of this is natural processes, but the human contribution is also visible.

People continue to devastate the earth's bowels, pumping oil and gas, extracting coal and metals necessary for their life. But the irrational use of these resources, the reluctance to switch to renewable energy sources can in the foreseeable future cause a real collapse.

Megacities are places of terrible noise and light pollution. Here people almost never see the starry sky and do not hear birdsong. Air polluted by cars and factories causes premature aging and health problems. Progress has made people's lives easier and faster, but at the same time, the consumer society has made waste disposal more relevant than ever before. It is worth considering that every day the most ordinary person generates just an insane amount of garbage. But there is also radioactive waste... Under these conditions, it is simply vital to stop solving problems alone and start thinking more globally.

Economic problems

The global division of labor has allowed the world community to produce goods and services more efficiently, and has developed trade to its current level. But at the same time, the problem of poverty in some regions became acute. The lack of necessary resources, low development, social problems - all this in one way or another hinders progress in regions such as Africa and Central and South America. The most developed countries are prospering and getting richer and richer, while the rest are lagging behind, living only by selling some valuable resources. This gap in the income of the world's population is simply huge. And charity in this case is not always an option.

Economic global problems may also include potential overpopulation of the planet. It's not that people may not have enough space - there are territories in the world where almost no one lives. But the number of people is growing exponentially, and the growth of food production - only in arithmetic. From this follows the problem of poverty, and its possible further spread, especially taking into account the environmental situation.

The issue is also that the foreign policy of some countries simply does not allow them to unite and think globally. Economic problems, meanwhile, accumulate and affect ordinary people.

Social

The planet is torn apart by constant conflicts. The constant threat of war, social tension, racial and religious intolerance - society seems to be constantly on the verge. Here and there riots break out. The revolutions of the last decade have shown how terrible wars can be within a country. Egypt, Syria, Libya, Ukraine - there are enough examples, and everyone knows about them. As a result, there are no winners, everyone loses in one way or another, and in the first place - the ordinary population.

In the Middle East, women are fighting for their rights: they want to study at schools and universities without fear for their health and life. They want to stop being second class people - it's scary to think, but in some countries this is still happening. In some countries, a woman is more likely to be raped than to learn to count. Is it possible to assume that all these are not global social problems? And if so, then we need to deal with them together.

Solution

Of course, it is impossible to say with a high degree of certainty that the above-mentioned global social problems, economic and environmental issues will soon lead to the self-destruction of mankind. But it is hardly worth denying the fact that such a possibility exists.

Solving global problems is a very difficult task. It is impossible to simply limit the birth rate or find an unlimited source of energy - a complete spiritual rebirth of humanity is needed, which would change our attitude towards nature, the planet and each other.

Some global problems of countries and the whole world have already been resolved to some extent. Racial segregation has disappeared, so that now all people in civilized countries, regardless of skin color, have equal rights. Everyone else strives for the same position, trying not to judge people based on their religion, orientation, gender, etc.

Organizations and figures

There are several supranational bodies in the world dealing with various issues. One such organization was the United Nations, founded in 1945. It consists of several special commissions, whose work in one way or another is the global problems of mankind. The UN is engaged in peacekeeping missions, protection of human rights, development of international legislation, social and economic issues.

In addition, individuals are also engaged in activities aimed at solving global problems. Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Eisaku Sato and others fought for the future they wanted for their descendants. Of contemporaries, many public people are engaged in such activities. Shakira, Angelina Jolie, Natalia Vodianova, Chulpan Khamatova and many others establish charitable foundations, become UN Goodwill Ambassadors and do other things that make the world a better place.

Awards

Various awards are given to public figures for their contribution or even courageous attempts to change the world for the better. The most prestigious of them is the Nobel Prize. In 2014, its laureate was Malala Yousafzai, a 16-year-old girl from Pakistan who, despite the fact that her life was in constant danger, attended school every day and kept a blog in which she talked about life under the Taliban regime, which had its own views on the need for education for women. Having survived the assassination attempt, she ended up in the UK, but decided to return to her homeland. She was awarded the prize for fighting for her interests and defending her own rights. After the award, Malala released her autobiography, the reaction of the Taliban to which was a promise to kill the girl.

Why shouldn't it matter?

Of course, one can say that global problems are not our business, because the consequences of ignoring them will not hit us. Overpopulation, poverty, war, ecological catastrophe - even if all this is inevitable, it will not happen here and now. But it is worth thinking not only about yourself, but also about your children, relatives and friends. Even if the global problems of society cannot be solved alone, you can start small: try to use less packaging, recycle garbage, do not waste water, save electricity. It's not difficult, but if everyone does it, maybe the world will be a little better.

Problems that do not concern any particular continent or state, but the entire planet, are called global. As civilization develops, it accumulates more and more of them. Today there are eight main problems. Consider the global problems of mankind and ways to solve them.

Ecological problem

Today it is considered the main one. For a long time, people used the resources given to them by nature irrationally, polluted the environment around them, poisoned the Earth with a variety of wastes - from solid to radioactive. The result was not long in coming - according to most competent researchers, environmental problems in the next hundred years will lead to irreversible consequences for the planet, and therefore for humanity.

Already now there are countries where this issue has reached a very high level, giving rise to the concept of a crisis ecological region. But the threat looms over the whole world: the ozone layer that protects the planet from radiation is being destroyed, the earth's climate is changing - and man is unable to control these changes.

Even the most developed country cannot solve the problem alone, so the states unite to solve important environmental problems together. The main solution is considered to be the rational use of natural resources and the reorganization of everyday life and industrial production so that the ecosystem develops naturally.

Rice. 1. Threatening scale of the environmental problem.

demographic problem

In the 20th century, when the world's population passed the six billion mark, everyone heard about it. However, in the 21st century, the vector has shifted. In short, now the essence of the problem is this: there are fewer and fewer people. A competent policy of family planning and improvement of the living conditions of each individual will help to solve this issue.

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food problem

This problem is closely related to the demographic one and consists in the fact that more than half of humanity is experiencing an acute shortage of food. To solve it, it is necessary to use the available resources for food production more rationally. Experts see two ways of development - intensive, when the biological productivity of existing fields and other lands increases, and extensive - when their number increases.

All global problems of mankind must be solved together, and this one is no exception. The issue of food arose due to the fact that most of the people live in areas unsuitable for this. Combining the efforts of scientists from different countries will significantly speed up the solution process.

Energy and raw materials problem

The uncontrolled use of raw materials has led to the depletion of mineral reserves that have accumulated for hundreds of millions of years. Very soon, fuel and other resources may disappear altogether, so scientific and technical progress is being introduced at all stages of production.

The issue of peace and disarmament

Some scientists believe that in the very near future it may happen that it will not be necessary to look for possible ways to solve the global problems of mankind: people produce such an amount of offensive weapons (including nuclear) that at some point they can destroy themselves. To prevent this from happening, world treaties on the reduction of armaments and the demilitarization of economies are being developed.

The problem of people's health

Humanity continues to suffer from deadly diseases. The advances of science are great, but untreatable diseases still exist. The only solution is to continue scientific research in search of drugs.

The problem of using the oceans

The depletion of land resources has led to an increase in interest in the World Ocean - all countries that have access to it use it not only as a biological resource. Both the mining and chemical sectors are actively developing. This gives rise to two problems at once: pollution and uneven development. But how are these issues resolved? At the moment, scientists from all over the world are engaged in them, who are developing the principles of rational oceanic nature management.

Rice. 2. Industrial station in the ocean.

The problem of space exploration

To master outer space, it is important to unite efforts on a global scale. Recent studies are the result of the consolidation of the work of many countries. This is the basis for solving the problem.

Scientists have already developed a mock-up of the first station for settlers on the moon, and Elon Musk says that the day is not far off when people will go to explore Mars.

Rice. 3. Model of the lunar base.

What have we learned?

Humanity has many global problems that can ultimately lead to its death. These problems can be solved only if efforts are consolidated - otherwise, the efforts of one or several countries will be reduced to zero. Thus, civilizational development and the solution of problems of a universal scale are possible only if the survival of man as a species becomes higher than economic and state interests.

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